Star Performs at the Dude Ranch

I heard from Barry, yesterday. He’s the porcher that runs that dude ranch out in West Texas. Barry is always good for a story or two about city slickers. I told him he should tape some of those visitors and start his own reality show. Barry seems quite taken with the idea of him and Star being on TV, what with the two of them both being such hams and all.

Star is Barry’s reliable old packhorse, and his oldest and dearest friend. I believe he and that horse communicate better than most people. Barry and Star often pick their guests up in town in one of the old wagons and haul them all the way out to the ranch in a true old western style. Barry and Star use this opportunity to stage a little routine they’ve developed for the visitors. Barry is convinced that Star enjoys it as much as he does.

Barry informs his guests right off that Star is an old horse. He tells ‘em that they need to settle in and be patient; that Star will get them there on her own sweet time. Then he sits back and enjoys the beautiful scenery of God’s country while his guests watch their clocks and sweat like a stuck hog in the Texas heat. Every mile or so, Star stops, right where Barry has trained her to stop. Then she looks over her shoulder at him. Barry shakes his head no and she continues. This goes on until finally one of the guests inevitably asks, “What in the world is going on? Does this horse have to keep stopping?”

And that’s Barry’s big moment. “Yes, she does,” he explains. “Like I said earlier, Old Star’s pretty deaf now, but she’s a good horse, and she’s so afraid of not hearing me say ‘whoa” that she stops everyone once in a while, just to check!”

~Shellie